Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11499/51090
Title: Environmental and Mineralogical Controls on Biosignature Preservation in Magnesium Carbonate Systems Analogous to Jezero Crater, Mars
Authors: Burnie, Teanna M.
Power, Ian M.
Paulo, Carlos
Alçiçek, Hüulya
Falcon, Luisa, I
Lin, Yongjie
Wilson, Siobhan A.
Keywords: Jezero Crater
Mars
Terrestrial analogs
Microbial fossils
Aragonite
Hydromagnesite
Aragonite-Calcite Transformation
Quantitative Phase-Analysis
Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Rare-Earth-Element
Isotope Fractionation
Modern Microbialites
Thermal Dehydration
British-Columbia
Pilbara Craton
Alkaline Lake
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc
Abstract: Jezero Crater on Mars is a paleolacustrine environment where Mg-carbonates may host evidence of ancient life. To elucidate the environmental and mineralogical controls on biosignature preservation, we examined samples from five terrestrial analogs: Lake Salda (Turkey), Lake Alchichica (Mexico), Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (China), Mg-carbonate playas (British Columbia, Canada), and a mine with fine-grained ultramafic tailings (Yukon, Canada). The mineralogical compositions of the samples varied, yet were often dominated by either aragonite (CaCO3) or hydromagnesite [Mg-5(CO3)(4)(OH)(2)center dot 4H(2)O]. Aragonite-rich samples from Alchichica, Mg-carbonate playas, and the ultramafic mine contained an abundance of entombed microbial biomass, including organic structures that resembled cells, whereas hydromagnesite-rich samples were devoid of microfossils. Aragonite often precipitates subaqueously where microbes thrive, thereby increasing the likelihood of biomass entombment, while hydrated Mg-carbonates typically form by evaporation in subaerial settings where biofilms are less prolific. Magnesite (MgCO3), the most stable Mg-carbonate, forms extremely slowly, which may limit the capture of biosignatures. Hydrated Mg-carbonates are prone to transformation via coupled dissolution-precipitation reactions that may expose biosignatures to degradation. Although less abundant, aragonite is commonly found in Mg-carbonate environments and is a better medium for biosignature preservation due to its fast precipitation rates and relative stability, as well as its tendency to form subaqueously and lithify. Consequently, we propose that aragonite be considered a valuable exploration target on Mars.
URI: https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0111
https://hdl.handle.net/11499/51090
ISSN: 1531-1074
1557-8070
Appears in Collections:Mühendislik Fakültesi Koleksiyonu
PubMed İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / PubMed Indexed Publications Collection
Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / Scopus Indexed Publications Collection
WoS İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / WoS Indexed Publications Collection

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